Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Holy Spirit is promised to all of us.

"And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' And He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father hs put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'" (Acts: 1:4-8)
• being assembled together with them. Jesus often communed with His friends and disciples over a meal: at the feeding of the five thousand, with tax collectors and sinners, at the Pharisee's house, at the Last Supper, and after the Resurrection
• wait for the Promise of the Father. The Holy Spirit was the gift of the Father and the gift of Jesus the Son
• not many days from now. A few days would pass before Pentecost
• at this time restore the kingdom to Israel. From what Jesus said in Matt. 19:28, the disciples thought that He might overthrow the Romans and restore the physical kingdom to Israel
• Holy Spirit has come upon you. Jesus means that the Holy Spirit will show His control of their lives with visible manifestations: the blowing of a violent wind, the appearance of tongues of fire, and speaking in foreign languages
• witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.The book of Acts follows this strategy. The Jerusalem witness in chapter 2 gives in miniature form God's worldwide ministry: the "Jews...from every nation" (2:5) who heard and believed carried the message far and wide. In the rest of Acts the gospel spreads to Jerusalem (3:1-8:1), to Judea and Samaria, up to Antioch of Syria (8:1-12:25), and to the ends of the earth (13:1-28:31)
The Trinity is a description of the unique relationship of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If Jesus had stayed on earth, his physical presence would have limited the spread of the gospel, for physically he could be in only one place at a time. After his ascension, he would be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was sent so God would be with and within his followers after Jesus returned to heaven. His Spirit would comfort them, guide them to know his truth, remind them of Jesus' words, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power.
Jesus wants to fill all of us with his Spirit just as he did for the Apostles on Pentecost. Just ask Jesus to be with you as you begin your day. Some amazing things could happen.

Peace and Love,
Sue


"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)

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